Journalist Aleksandrov detained for 2 months

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Andriy Aleksandrov, journalist who has been detained in Belarus, was remanded in custody for two months, as “Ukrayinska Pravda” reported citing BelaPAN and Naviny.by

"The decision on the restrictive measure was issued by the directorate of the Investigative Committee in Minsk at the instance of the prosecutor's office. But this does not mean it is unalterable. Andriy has to be shortly transferred to a pre-trial detention center on Volodarsky Street ," lawyer Olga Karpushonok told BelaPAN.

At the same time, the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Belarus Hennady Kazakevich said that Andriy Aleksandrov and his girlfriend Irina Zlobina were suspected of financing the protest rallies.

"While establishing the ways for financing illegal mass rallies in the Republic of Belarus, employees of the Economic Crimes Unit tracked down two individual entrepreneurs - residents of Minsk. They were detained on January 12 this year," Kazakevich said.

According to him, "Andriy Aleksandrov, 42, and his girlfriend Iryna Zlobina. 31. have been engaged in financing people who took part in mass riots and other protests in Minsk since August 2020, in particular by paying penalities and reimbursing detention in center for isolation of offenders and  in temporary detention center and so on".

"While questioned, Aleksandrov explained that he received an offer to fulfill such activities from the ByHelp Solidarity Fund, which provides assistance to citizens who suffered in protests. Soon his girlfriend joined this activity," said a spokesman for the Interior Ministry.

According to him, only from August 22 to November 9, 2020, Aleksandrov and Zlobina paid more than 250 fines for several people.

Kazakevich noted that "searches were conducted in the apartment of the suspects and the office of BelaPAN, one of directors of which Alksxandrov was for a long time and where he has been renting office," as a result of which 168 receipts for payment of fines, bank payment cards and money were found and seized. in the amount of more than 25 thousand dollars and euros and 20 thousand Belarusian rubles, protest stuff, computer equipment.

With regard to the defendants, a case was initiated under Part 2 of Art. 342 of the Criminal Code ("Education and other training of persons aiming to teach them to participate in group actions that grossly violate public order, funding and other logistics of such activities").

As IMI reported , on January 13 in Minsk (Belarus Andriy Aleksandrov, who had been reported missing previously, was found denained in Minsk.

Andriy Alexandrov stopped communicating on January 12 at about 2 p.m. Alexandrov's girlfriend, with whom she also had no contact since January 12, was found in the Minsk Center for Isolation of Offenders on Okrestin Street.